BODY-IMAGE, BODY DYSPHORIA, AND DIETARY RESTRAINT - FACTOR STRUCTURE IN NONCLINICAL SUBJECTS

The principal aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of several assessment methods used to measure dietary restraint, body di ssatisfaction, and body image. Factor analysis was employed to identif y and confirm the primary constructs measured by these assessment meth ods. A total of 206 undergraduate women were recruited as subjects. Th is sample was divided into two subsets of 100 and 106 subjects. On the first subset, principle components analysis identified three factors: body dysphoria, dietary restraint, and body image. With the second su bset of subjects, confirmatory factor analysis cross-validated this fa ctor structure. A two factor solution, body dysphoria and dietary rest raint, was identified and confirmed when the body image measure was co nverted to a self-minus-ideal discrepancy score. These findings are di scussed in relation to the definition of control groups to be used in studies of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Guidelines for the selection of measures for each of the three factors also are presented.